Naropa University Launches New Low-Residency MA in Spiritual Care
Innovative program prepares the next generation of contemplative chaplains and interfaith caregivers
BOULDER, COLORADO—December 15, 2025—Naropa University has announced the launch of its Master of Arts in Spiritual Care, a transformative two-year graduate program designed for those called to provide compassionate, interfaith spiritual support in a rapidly changing world.
“At a time when people across the globe are seeking deeper meaning, connection and healing, we need caregivers who can hold space for complexity with wisdom and compassion,” said Ji Hyang Padma, PhD, program director and senior lecturer in religious studies at Naropa University. “This program is about cultivating that kind of presence: contemplative, grounded and ready to serve.”
Beginning enrollment now for its first cohort in Fall 2026, the MA in Spiritual Care offers a rigorous, interdisciplinary curriculum rooted in Naropa’s long-standing commitment to contemplative education. The program prepares students to meet the evolving spiritual and existential needs of individuals and communities across a wide range of professional settings.
Graduates will complete 48 credits over two years, culminating in a capstone project and a clinical internship. The program’s flexible format makes it accessible to students nationwide while maintaining Naropa’s signature small-class mentorship and contemplative learning environment.
A Contemplative and Experiential Approach to Spiritual Care
Rooted in Naropa’s pioneering model of contemplative education, the MA in Spiritual Care integrates mindfulness, self-reflection and academic rigor to prepare graduates for work in a range of professional settings including hospitals, hospices, universities, military settings and integrative health contexts.
Key program hallmarks include:
- Contemplative foundation: Every course is anchored in mindfulness, meditation, and self-awareness practices that help students cultivate the inner qualities necessary for serving others.
- Low-residency flexibility: Most coursework is available online or in person, complemented by two week-long retreats in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains.
- Clinical and experiential learning: Students complete internships and field experiences through Naropa’s affiliation with the Center for Contemplative Care’s Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program, gaining real-world experience in diverse spiritual care settings.
- Ethical engagement with emerging forms of spiritual care: Coursework explores new developments in the field—from interfaith accompaniment to contemporary models of meaning-centered support—grounded in ethics, spiritual integration, and professional boundaries.
“At Naropa University, all programs are uniquely distinguished by contemplative education that blends the best of conceptual and experiential learning—for the head and the hands—with an intentionally mindful approach to emotion and spirit for the heart,” said Dr. Paul Burkhardt, president of Naropa. “In these times of growing anxiety and upheaval, Naropa’s approach to contemplative education is the cure. Naropa teaches people how understandings of systems of oppression—coupled with mindful approaches for compassion and collaboration from different wisdom traditions—enable transformative change through the peaceful power of solidarity.”
Naropa’s new programs in Political and Justice Studies and in Spiritual Care empower Naropa graduates to make a living making a difference.”
Meeting a Growing Need for Compassionate Leadership
The demand for trained spiritual caregivers is projected to grow significantly over the next two decades as more institutions, from health care systems to universities and corporations, recognize the importance of meaning-centered well-being. Naropa’s program responds to that need by preparing graduates for roles such as chaplain, spiritual care counselor, bereavement coordinator, grief counselor or dharma teacher.
The MA in Spiritual Care uniquely positions students to integrate contemplative awareness with professional excellence.
Learn more at https://www.naropa.edu/programs/grauate-academics/ma-spiritual-care/.
About Naropa University
Naropa University, nestled in Boulder, Colorado, was established in 1974 by Tibetan Buddhist teacher Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Drawing its name and inspiration from the teachings of the 11th-century Indian Buddhist sage Naropa, this private university stands out distinctly among America’s higher education landscape in its effort to integrate eastern wisdom with traditional western scholarship. Recognized as the pioneering force behind contemplative higher education and the start of the modern mindfulness movement, Naropa University is the sole institution to integrate a university-wide contemplative pedagogical approach.
At Naropa, education transcends the ordinary; the institution embraces the entirety of its students—mind, body and spirit—augmenting traditional methodologies with practices like meditation. Since receiving its accreditation in 1986, Naropa University consistently upholds the exacting standards for quality and accountability set by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Learn more at naropa.edu.
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